This is it: After 17 races on five continents the 2007 Formula 1 season is set for the “grande finale” in Brazil. The Interlagos circuit on the outskirts of Sao Paulo will host the final race of what turned out to become one of the most dramatic F1 seasons ever.

For Panasonic Toyota Racing, the Brazilian Grand Prix will be the final farewell to Ralf Schumacher. The German has been with the team for three years, scored some great results but the 2007 season did not turn out the way he would have liked. Ralf already told you about his reasons for seeking new challenges in 2008 in one of my diaries from China, but I am sure he will do his very best to end his Panasonic Toyota Racing career in a high note: With a little luck, both Ralf and his team-mate Jarno Trulli could score points in Interlagos.

But most of the focus in Brazil will be on the title fight between Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen. For very different reasons, all three of them deserve the 2007 World Championship and the Brazilian Grand Prix promises to be one of the most exciting and fascinating races in long, long time.

I don´t know how many times I have been to Brazil but I very clearly remember my first visit. It was back in 1987 - is that really 20 years ago? - and I had just passed my final exams at law school at the University of Copenhagen. As my mates prepared for the graduation parties, I had very different plans: I was off to the Brazilian Grand Prix, which in those days took place at the Jacarepagua circuit in Rio de Janeiro. Everybody were surprised that I skipped all the parties, but I had plans to skip much more than just the graduation: Even before I had passed the final exam, I had decided to follow my dream - and that did not include a career in law. With a cheap ticket to Rio in my pocket and wild dreams of becoming a F1 reporter in my head, I left the world of law and went to Brazil. 20 years later I can honestly say I don´t regret it - for me, F1 races will always be more interesting than court meetings!

I had a great time in Rio back in 1987 (I even did a little partying myself - to celebrate the end of my law career and the start of my dream). And this year I will probably also mark the 20 years anniversary of my law exams with a few caipirinhas (if you don´t know what that is - don´t ask. Let me just say that the taste is extremely good at night. The next morning is a very different matter...)

I will be back with news from the opening practice on Friday.

The first day of practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix here in Interlagos was a wet and grey affair. Lewis Hamilton was fastest ahead of Fernando Alonso while the third title contender KImi Raikkonen was fourth. Panasonic Toyota Racing drivers Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli were 11th. and 16th. respectively.

While it is fair to say that Sao Paulo is not high on my list of favourite cities on the F1 tour, I do enjoy the Interlagos circuit. With a lot of elevation changes, green grass and some spectacular corners, it is a challenge for the drivers and great for the photographers, who can get some of the best shots of the year in Interlagos. The organisers are also very helpful, and last year the promoters of the Brazilian Grand Prix were awarded the trophy for the best race of the 2006 season. The trophy comes from Formula One Management (FOM) and is awarded to the promoter who has proved most helpful.

It is always interesting to meet the local organisers and hear them talk about their race. Here in Interlagos I was told that during the days of the Brazilian Grand Prix, 15 megawatts of electricity are produced by generators at the circuit. That would be enough to supply a small town of 20.000 inhabitants!

Another interesting bit of information from the Brazilian Grand Prix is this: In grandstand G - the big grandstand on the back straight - some seven tonnes of meat are consumed. And in total, more than 420.000 cans of soft-drinks and 100.000 snacks are served during the Grand Prix weekend!

If you look at the spectators at any Grand Prix, you will find that the vast majority are men. Motor racing - at least when it comes to F1 - is mainly a “male” sport (you will find a far more female spectators at a NASCAR race in the United States). But - at least here in Brazil - it is a completely different picture when it comes to the organisers: Nearly 80 percent of the people involved in organisation of the race this weekend are women.

As the only round in South America, the Brazilian Grand Prix has a safe place in the F1 calendar. The first F1 race was held in Interlagos back in 1972, but this was a non-championship event, won by Emerson Fittipaldi. Emerson was born close to Interlagos and when he went on to win the 1972 World Championship and created a lot of F1 interest in Brazil and Sao Paulo, the race was obviously upgraded to World Championship status in 1973. In those days the race was twinned with the Argentine Grand Prix in Buenos Aires, and the season usually kicked off with this South American double-header.

Argentina later disappeared from the F1 calendar, but the Brazilian has been a permanent fixture since that first race back in 1972. A few years ago it was moved from its traditional early-season spot to a position near the end of the season, and I never really realised why. That is - until now: Today I learned from the organisers that the race was moved to October so that the infamous March storms could be avoided.

That was a good idea as we did have a lot of wet Brazilian Grands Prix in the past. But today - a grey, wet day just like we used to have in March - just proved that you can´t plan everything when it comes to the weather...

The final qualifying of the Formula 1 year 2007 produced an interesting grid. Felipe Massa will start his home race from pole position ahead of the championship contenders Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso. Panasonic Toyota Racing drivers Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher will be eighth and 15th. on the grid. - the German obviously keen to finish his Panasonic Toyota career on a high note in his last race for the team.

As I told you yesterday, the Brazilian Grand Prix has been a permanent fixture in the F1 calendar since that first non-championship race back in 1972 and the first World Championship round in 1973. The current contract between the City of Sao Paulo and F1 expires after the 2009 race, and the mayor of Sao Paulo, Gilberto Kassab, this weekend confirmed that talks of a new contract are taking place. In fact, it has been rumoured that a new deal - covering the 2010 - 14 seasons - could be signed as early as this weekend, but all Kassab would say was this: “We have had positive talks and there shouldn´t be any obstacles for renewing the contract.”

With new countries queuing up to join the F1 calendar, it is easy to see why Sao Paulo is keen to sign a new contract. “During the three days of the event, some 120.000 people go to the circuit,” Kassab says. “Each tourist spends approximately 615 Reals (that is close to 300 US Dollars) per day in our city. In addition - according to research by the FIPE Institute - for every Real the city invests in the event, up to three times more are returned to the city. An estimated 150 million Reals will come into the city´s economy,” the mayor of Sao Paulo explains.

And the “profits” doesn´t stop there. “The benefits extend beyond financial gains,” Kassap says. “During the event, Sao Paulo´s projection is unrivalled as hundreds of millions of people in 184 countries see Sao Paulo as a cosmopolitan, global metropolis; ready to welcome international events.”

And then there are the local jobs created by F1. “The Brazilian Grand Prix generates at least 14.000 direct and indirect jobs in Sao Paulo,” Kassab says. “To give you an idea: Each hotel room occupied creates or maintains from 0,4 to 2,0 job posts per year; depending on its category,” the mayor goes on. “These are figures from the World Tourism Organisation,” he adds.

During the Grand Prix weekend, more than 7000 people are directly employed by the event - from sporting marshals to security and cleaning staff. This figure soars to nearly 10.000 when indirect job opportunities are considered as well.

All these figures explain why the Brazilian Grand Prix is extremely important to Sao Paulo - and why the city is keen to renew to contract into the next decade.

The race is also extremely important to the three title contenders and to Panasonic Toyota Racing drivers Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli. In less than 24 hours we will know the name of the 2007 World Champion, we will know in which position Panasonic Toyota Racing finished in the Constructors World Championship and we will know where Ralf and Jarno finished in the Drivers´ Championship.

A long season is coming down to the closing end...

The 2007 Formula 1 season is over. One of the most exciting and controversial years in F1 history ended here in Interlagos with Kimi Raikkonen winning both the Brazilian Grand Prix and the World Championship. Panasonic Toyota Racing drivers Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher finished 8th. and 11th., which gave the team sixth place in the Constructors´ Championship. In the Drivers´ Championship, Jarno is 13th. and Ralf 16th.

But let us forget the figures and statistics for a moment. To me, they are not what make F1 interesting - travelling to exciting places, meeting interesting people and watching some great racing is more important.

As this is the last diary entry of the season (don´t worry - I will soon be back with my first off-season diary!) allow me to look back on some of my personal highlights of 2007.

It all started back in January when I went to Spain for a test session with Panasonic Toyota Racing at Jerez. All three drivers were there but it was the first time I talked at length with third driver Franck Montagny. We had a great dinner and I got a lot of insight into the sometimes frustrating life of a third driver.

My best memory from Melbourne was McLaren´s traditional preseason lunch - or more specifically the quiz game. The questions are really difficult - like “What was the firing order of the 1955 Mercedes F1 engine” and so on. But we have assembled a great team of F1 nerds and I am happy to say we won for the third time in five years.

My next “highlight” came in Monaco, when Indian multimillionaire and Panasonic Toyota Racing sponsor (through his Kingfisher brand)
Dr Vijay Mallya invited the “Club 300” aboard his “Indian Empress” yacht for a party. “Club 300” is reserved for F1 media people who have attended more than 300 Grands Prix, so it was a group of old friends that came to party. The “Indian Empress” was impressive - some 95 metres long! BUt everything about Dr Mallya is impressive - he has just bought the Spyker F1 team, which will be named “Force India” next season...

Montreal and the Canadian Grand Prix was another highlight. On Saturday night I went to Cirque du Soleil´s latest show and guess who came into the tent just before show-time and sat down in front of me? A certain Mr. L. Hamilton, who went on to win his first Grand Prix the very next day. From Montreal in was out to Las Vegas on a short trip. I was putting the finishing touches to a book (it will be published next month in Denmark) and Vegas was the perfect destination for a “working holiday”: I was writing from 09.00 t0 17.00 every day, then out for dinner - and then a new Cirque du Soleil show every night (they have several resident shows in Vegas).

The midseason - often with back-to-back races - is usually just work and no play, but I remember the Belgian Grand Prix fondly. It was a good race - and immediately after the finish I went to a concert with one of my favourite singers, South Africa´s Johnny Clegg (check him out!) in Aachen. And on my way back to Denmark I passed through Hamburg, which just happened to host another Cirque du Soleil show.

It was great to go to the Fuji Speedway in Japan. I always enjoy new circuits and I had a couple of days “off” in Tokyo before flying to Shanghai and the Chinese Grand Prix. Between the two races in the Far East it was announced that Ralf would leave Panasonic Toyota Racing at the end of the season, and it was interesting and a little emotional to make my last interview with him as a Panasonic Toyota Racing driver.

And now we are here in Brazil - seven months and 17 races after the the kick-off in Melbourne.

I will be off on holiday soon but I will be back with the first of my off-season stories in mid-November.